Heartstrings Mission & Method

Our Mission

To provide compassionate validation, bereavement education and hope to families who have suffered pregnancy and infant loss through distinctive peer-based support programs guided by bereaved parents in partnership with professional facilitators. Heartstrings is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity organization with the Tax ID #76-0777216.

Heartstrings is recognized as the foremost pregnancy, infant, and child loss support organization partnering with families, medical personnel and the community to provide peer-based grief support and education to bereaved parents.

Heartstrings is not a faith-based organization and serves grieving parents regardless of race, gender, class, religion, sexual orientation, disability, marital status or socioeconomic status by connecting them with parents who have experienced a similar loss.

Since the first support group in 2005, Heartstrings and several counseling professionals have continued to improve the curriculum and format used in the support groups based on participant pre- and post-evaluation. What is different about Heartstrings? The main characteristics that make Heartstrings unique are that our support groups:

Are led by a licensed counselor and a bereaved parent who has personally experienced pregnancy and infant loss. Both facilitators are trained in the Heartstrings curriculum specific to the type of loss.

Follow a set curriculum that educates the parents about grief while also allowing them to share their loss and emotions in a safe place.

Are closed to new participants after the second meeting to protect the trust and community of the group.

Meet weekly for the first month and every-other-week for the last two months to allow the participants to build community outside of the group.

Recognize the natural gender differences experienced in grief and healing by hosting two male/female breakout sessions.